Global Studies
White Paper Instructions
Definition:
A white paper is an informational document used to educate an audience about a specific topic.
Context:
Before moving on to the next instructional unit, we will be taking time to update contemporary issues from the regions that we have already studied this year: the Middle East, Africa and China. You will be assigned a current news story from one of these three regions. You will research any new information and/or actions that have occurred since December 1, 2007.
Your Task:
Once you have been assigned a news story, you will research to discover any new information, further problems and/or actions that have occurred since December 1, 2007.
- You must locate and read a minimum of four significant news articles [at least one full page in length] about the news story.
- You will then write a white paper to update your classmates on new happenings about this news story.
Elements of a White Paper:
The white paper should be approximately three pages in length including the following items in the order in which they appear below:
- A Title Page with an Introductory paragraph about the subject of the news story at the bottom of the title page.
- An Executive Summary of the news story based on updated information sinceDecember 1, 2007– using in-text citations to identify the source of factual information.
- Two Graphics to enrich information about the news story – noting the source of each graphic.
- A Conclusion – expressing a clear opinion on the issue.
- Sources – minimum of four trustworthy sources.
The white paper must be typed.
*A sample white paper is provided below on the topic of China’s one child policy.
China’s One Child Policy
by
T. Forsberg
2-25-08
Introduction:
When the People’s Republic of China was founded by Mao Zedong in 1949, China’s population was estimated to be 542 million people [China’s One]. China’s population growth rate was more than two percent from 1949-1974 [Riley]. By the 1970s, the population of the People’s Republic of Chinawas reaching the one billion mark. With only one-third of its land area [the eastern corridor] habitable, China was faced with possible shortages in critical resources such as food and water in order to sustain its growing population. In 1979 Deng Xiaoping instituted the one-child policy designed to limit the number of children each family could have in order to slowChina’s population growth, particularly in urban areas. The policy offered income bonuses, improved health care and retirement pensions, and priority in housing to those families who agreed to have only one child. A special ten percent tax was assessed on the income of families who disobeyed the policy [Harker].
Executive Summary:
In 2007, China renewed its one-child policy without making any changes, pledging to keep its population under 1.45 billion people by 2020 [Olesen]. Zhang Weiqing, Minister in charge of the National Population and Family Planning Commission in China reports that “Because China has worked hard over the last thirtyyears, we have 400 million fewer people” (China’s Population). Many critics of this one-child policy point to several disadvantages of limiting the number of children per family: an aging population, an increase in incidents of female infanticide due to a preference for males as well as forced abortions and sterilization [China May]. Currently, China is experiencing an unusually high number of boy births (130) for every 100 girls. The average for industrialized countries is 104 for every 100 girls [Olesen]. Many wealthy families are now opting to pay the special tax in order to have a second child [China May]. It is clear that this issue will remain a serious one considering that China currently has twenty percent of the world’s population existing in a country with 14% arable land [China].
China’s Population Growth A.D. 0-2050
Source: Heilig
Source: U.S. Department of Labor
Conclusion:
In a decidedly difficult call, the Chinese have attempted to slow down their population growth for the benefit of all of its citizens. Deng Xiaoping’s Four Modernizations in agriculture, industry, science and technology and defense has catapulted China into a position as a potential global hegemon. This brings with it expectations on the part of ordinary Chinese citizens for a higher standard of living. This higher standard of living could not be reached without sacrifice of some kind taking place on the part of its people. With approximately 20% of the entire world’s population, China would not have enough critical resources to sustain its population if it continued with its current doubling time of 115 years. At that rate, China’s population would reach 2.6 billion by 2120 (Population). Certainly, such high population numbers would have negative implications across the globe since scientists can not accurately determine the number of people that the earth’s resources can ultimately sustain.
Sources:
“China”. The World Factbook. The Central Intelligence Agency.
19 February 2008.
“China May Revamp One-Child Rule”. February 29, 2008. British Broadcasting
Corporation. 3 March 2008.
“China Steps up One Child Policy”. British Broadcasting Corporation.
19 February 2008.
“China’s One-Child Policy”. Harker. 23 February 2008.
index.thm/
“China’s Population Growth Slowing”. British Broadcasting Corporation.
March 28, 2001. 18 February 2008.
“Has China’s One-Child Policy Worked?”. British Broadcasting Corporation.
September 9, 2007. 19 February 2008.
Heilig, G. K. “Can China Feed Itself: A System for Evaluation of Policy Options”.
The International Institute for Applied System Analysis. 1999.
18 February 2008.
htm
Olsen, Alexa. “China Sticking to One-Child Policy”. January 23, 2007.
The Washington Post. 29 February 2008.
AR2007012300398.htm
“Population Growth- Friend or Foe? National Council on Economic Education.
19 February 2008.
teacher
Riley, Nancy E. “China’s Population: New Trends and Challenges”. Population
Reference Bureau. June 2004. 18 February 2008.
“World’s Population Distribution 2005”. United States Department of Labor.
23 February 2008.